Stormwater from melting snow, ice, or rainfall is increasingly becoming a challenge in cities and urban centers. Naturally, stormwater should evaporate or infiltrate into the ground. The soil in natural habitats, such as forests, absorbs significant amounts of stormwater, minimizing runoff. Plants, leaves, stems, and grass also slow runoff, facilitating increased stormwater absorption.
Unfortunately, reduced plant cover in urban centers and the construction of pavements and solid surfaces mean very little water can infiltrate the ground. This increases surface runoff, making it crucial for individual homeowners, contractors, and urban planners to consider stormwater management. This explains why contractors should engage certified SWPPP Services providers when seeking Water Board Permitting.
Why is Stormwater Runoff an Issue?
Stormwater runoff is common in streets, gravel lots, rooftops, parking areas, and other solid surfaces. Because of the nature of the surface, water runoff picks and mixes with contaminants on the ground, such as oil, grease, fertilizers, bacteria from septic systems and pets, pesticides, soaps, and other accidental spills.
Polluted water runoff drains through the gutters, storm drains, and other drainage channels into rivers, streams, lakes, and water bays. This is especially common in areas where land use changes from urban to rural activities. If not managed, stormwater causes:
- Pollution which contaminates water sources harms fish, and other aquatic wildlife
- Flooding – Since it can’t soak underground, stormwater flows downstream through drains, flooding septic systems, streams, and other waterways.
- Water shortages – Growing communities close to developed areas also experience potential water shortages. Impervious surfaces in urban areas prevent rainwater from soaking underground to replenish groundwater.
Importance of Stormwater Management
Stormwater management is important for the following reasons:
1. Maintains the Hydrological Cycle
Stormwater management ensures that lakes, streams, and aquatic life don’t experience water shortages. Poor stormwater management reduces infiltration, which reduces groundwater recharge and soil replenishment. Soil moisture indirectly affects the hydrological cycle as it helps maintain vegetation cover. Proper stormwater management ensures there’s sufficient water for human, aquatic, and agricultural activities.
2. Reduces the Risk of Flooding
Proper stormwater management in urban areas reduces the risk of floods. Urban centers and places with minimal vegetation cover often experience floods after a heavy downpour. Melting ice, strong rainfalls, and thunderstorms often cause heavy runoffs, which can overwhelm the available drainage systems causing floods.
3. Prevents Undesirable Erosion
If not checked, stormwater runoff causes extensive erosion from impervious surfaces. Reducing the amount and speed of water being channeled into streams prevents erosion of harmful chemicals and pollutants. Without proper stormwater management, rivers also flood, affecting the livelihoods of those living around the banks of streams, rivers, and lakes.
4. Protects Water Quality
Managing stormwater also ensures that water quality in urban and neighboring rural centers remains unaffected. As mentioned, stormwater carries contaminants from impervious surfaces, such as pesticides, plastics, grease, and oil. If not managed, such contaminants affect the quality of groundwater and important water sources.
Endnote
Stormwater runoff management is a crucial component of landscaping and urban planning. As such, homeowners, commercial building owners, and contractors should adopt various stormwater management solutions, such as using green roofs, constructing rain barrels and cisterns, installing permeable pavements, vegetated filter strips, and more.
